They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System

Chapter 451: Asking This Girl Out Like That?

“If I ever fall for a woman, I'll court her directly. No twasting. | want a wife, not a girlfriend.”

He said it with that unwavering seriousness that only Carl could manage.

So... this was his girlfriend?

Arthur didn’t say a word yet. But his silence was deafening.

The tension in the air grew sharper.

Jana could feel it, and her heart skipped.

Had she said too much?

Arthur's eyes swept over Jana from head to toe, cold and unreadable. He wasn't trying to be polite about it, his

gaze was deliberate and clinical.

And frankly... unimpressed.

This is the girl Carl is supposedly dating?

She looked ordinary, painfully so. Her posture screamed arrogance trying to mask cowardice, and her eyes held

the kind of pride that cfrom entitlement, not earned confidence.

Her manners were rough around the edges, and there was nothing remarkable about her presence. Not in grace.

Not in elegance. Not even in boldness.

Carl? Attracted to this?

Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ever since Nnenna entered the picture, Arthur's standards, though already high, had been reset, unconsciously

recalibrated to something more refined.

He had cacross countless girls in the academy and beyond: sbold, swild, others delicate and

refined. Yet none of them stood out. Not after Nnenna.

Her balance of sharp wit and genuine heart, her presence that demanded respect without trying... She was in a

class of her own.

And knowing Carl the way he did, his taste, his logic, his intense dislike for superficial women, this entire claim

felt... off.

Even without comparing Jana to Nnenna, even in a vacuum, this girl wouldn't have passed Carl's filter.

She wasn’t on par with the princesses the council had begged Carl to choose from. And she certainly didn’t give

off the feeling of someone Carl would risk associating with, much less date.

Something's wrong here, Arthur thought.

His gaze sharpened just a fraction. This wasn’t just about expelling a student anymore. No, this smelled of

manipulation... and lies.

And if there was one thing Arthur couldn't stand, it was someone playing games with him, or worse, dragging

someone close to him into it.

She must be lying, Arthur thought, almost certain as he stared at her from head to toe. But then another thought

slipped in, what if she’s not? Could Carl really have chosen her?

Arthur didn’t want to embarrass his best friend, or his supposed future wife, without being sure. But his instincts

screamed at him that something was off.

So he chose to ask questions. If this girl really was one of those, the type who convinced themselves they were

in a relationship just because they wanted to be, then it would cout soon enough.

“When did you two meet?” Arthur asked, his voice cold and clipped, giving nothing away.

Jana stood up slowly, lifting her chin in a show of fake composure. Arthur was taller, but she tried to match his

presence with boldness. She had already rehearsed this answer for her henchgirls and the naive crowd that

followed her blindly.

“We met at the beginning of the academic year,” she said in a calm voice, laced with false innocence. “After the

first day he taught our class, he calledto his office to comfort me. | had just been publicly humiliated by

sof the other students because of my... poor background.”

She paused and even gave a faint tremble in her voice, the kind that could make anyone feel pity, if they hadn't

heard her threatening people just a few moments ago.

Arthur raised a brow slightly, his expression unreadable.

“After that day,” Jana continued, letting her voice soften into what she thought was the perfect balance of

vulnerability and pride, “w-we exchanged phone numbers. He said | could call him anytime.”

She gave a tiny, bashful smile and lowered her gaze. “But | didn’t want to... He's Prince Carl, after all. | thought,

yes, being associated with him would be good for someone like me... but | didn’t want to take advantage of his

kindness. So | didn’t call.”

Speople in the crowd murmured, touched by her supposed humility.

“Then... one day, he called me,” she added with a faint blush and a little breathiness, like she was reliving a

dreamy moment. “And he kept calling... until he finally askedto be his girlfriend. He was so sincere,” she

said, placing a hand delicately on her chest. “And his sincerity moved me. So... | agreed.”

Jana bowed her head slightly, as if shy and overwhelmed by the memories.

The crowd broke out in gasps and wide eyes. A few girls clutched their hearts in envy.

Prince Carl had called her? Repeatedly? And confessed?

Sof the year one students exchanged glances, their minds spinning. They did remember that day. A group

of highborns had mocked Jana loudly for her “rural background.”

Most had thought nothing of it at the time, it wasn’t exactly uncommon. But now? Now it looked like that

moment of cruelty had turned her into royalty’s chosen.

“If we had known,” one noble girl muttered under her breath, “we would've just ignored her...”

“Or sucked up to her,” another whispered bitterly.

The story might've sounded believable to the crowd, but to Arthur, it was like hearing someone claim the moon

had turned into bread.

Carl? Calling repeatedly? Asking a girl out like that?

Not even close.

Carl was calm. Thoughtful. Extremely deliberate in everything he did. Yes, he was kind, but he never acted on

impulse when it cto people, especially girls.

Even if he felt sympathy for someone, he wouldn't cross certain boundaries so easily. Comfort, yes.

Encouragement, maybe. But multiple calls? Girlfriend?

Not a chance.

Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly. This girl was weaving a neat little story. One with just enough truth to sound

believable... but it didn’t sit right. Not with him.

Still, he didn’t want to confront her directly. Not yet.